Cuddles
by sleeping-dragon96
Summary: Following Snuggles. Lily believes she's had another fail of a date but James thinks otherwise.


"I messed up," Lily once again threw herself onto the couch in front of the fire. For the past year, every time Lily had a terrible date she would find herself in the comfort of her boys. Lily couldn't remember exactly at what point she started to see them as 'her boys' but neither could she remember a time when she didn't. Since sixth year, Lily found herself an honorary member of the Marauders and she wouldn't want to change it in any way.

Only three of her boys sat cuddled up on the armchair. Remus sat in the centre, a book on his lap and his mouth open as he was interrupted mid-sentence. Sirius had his hand running through Remus' hair and a look of content on his face. Peter looked like he was ready to fall asleep and was struggling to keep his eyes open.

Lily sighed dramatically, wishing they would ask her what happened so she could gush about her date.

"How'd you mess up another date?" Peter yawned, rubbing his eyes as he sat up straighter. Lily refrained from turning around to glare at Peter. Obviously it was never Lily's fault for her terrible dates she was an absolutely wonderful delight after all. Clearly it had to be the idiotic boys' fault. They were the ones who moved too fast, too slow, who made her pay for their butter beers or wouldn't let her pay anything at all. It wasn't Lily's fault the boys she dated had no idea on how to be the right guy.

Remus closed the book, accepting that he wouldn't be finishing it tonight.

Lily groaned, "he's never going to ask me out again."

Sirius almost tugged a lump of Remus' hair out in surprise as he yelled at Lily, "how on Earth do you mess up a date that badly?!"

Once again Lily groaned, hiding her face behind her hands. It was embarrassing, oh so embarrassing. Why was she even telling the boys? Telling them sex mishaps stories were less mortifying than admitting how badly she messed up.

He had asked her out only yesterday and Lily was the one to suggest going on the next night. While he had immediately agreed, Lily could tell he was slightly taken a back with how soon Lily wanted the date to be. It had been a cute date, a picnic by the lake with food from the kitchen. He had been a gentleman the whole night. Lily could've died from how cute the whole night was.

That's when it happened.

"I kissed him," she mumbled into her hands.

There was no response from her boys.

"This is when you remind me of the second date rule and call me names," she prompted, still not removing her hands from her face. If she did, she would see the glee on all the boys' faces. She would also see that the boys were struggling not to ask for details.

"That's it?" Peter asked, dumbfounded that she honestly believed he wouldn't want a second date. Didn't most boys want a second date if they got a good snogging? Isn't that the point of dating, to have someone to keep snogging?

"Trust us, you did not mess up," Remus snorted at the idea of what the boy must be like right now. Not many guys got to kiss Lily Evans. He must be over the moon.

Lily shook her head.

"Oh God Lily, what did you do?" Sirius had several ideas what she could've done and it got dirtier the longer it took for Lily to admit what had happened.

Lily slowly explained the story; her face growing redder the longer she spoke.

They had pulled away and Lily could feel the butterflies erupting in her stomach. No kiss had ever felt like that, no guy made her feel the way she was feeling right then. Lily had known for a while that she liked the boy and by a while she meant a year. His smile, the way he always had to be playing with something and just his whole personality really. Lily had been struggling not to kiss him in the middle of classes and dinners for months.

Lily didn't mean to say what she said. It just slipped out.

"You said what?!" the three boys screamed at once, all flying off the armchair at once to be closer to Lily. They knelt on the floor, staring at Lily with wide eyes.

"Surely not," Remus said.

Peter gasped, "can't be true."

Sirius grabbed Lily's face, shoving her hands away in the process, "did you say you loved him?!"

Lily nodded as the boys all squealed like the little girls they truly were.

It was at that point, Lily heard one extra and dramatically higher pitch coming from the entry of the common room. As if her night couldn't get any worse.

Sirius snapped his head in the direction of the squeal, making illegible noises as he sprinted towards his best friend. James stumbled back a few steps as Sirius launched himself at James. The two boys began to laugh and screamed at each other in high pitched tones.

"I wanted to tell you!" James laughed.

"She told me!" Sirius responded, settling in to wrap his legs around James' waist.

"Can you believe it?"

"No, I couldn't! It's definitely true?"

"About her loving me?"

"Yeah!"

"Apparently so!"

"Dude!"

"Dude!"

Lily groaned, throwing her hands back on her face. She messed up badly; James was never going to let her live this down. Lily didn't want to be the first one to say she loved him and she most definitely didn't want to say it on their first date. For the rest of their dating lives, James would be reminding her that she said it first and his deflated ego will be back in full force.

James walked over, carrying Sirius with ease now. It was hard not to think about the fact that if he was strong enough to carry Sirius he must be well and truly strong enough to carry Lily. If she wasn't blushing before, she definitely was now.

"It's official, Lily Evans loves me guys," Peter clapped at James' announcement while Remus joined Lily in groaning. Remus would be reminded every day of his life of the time Lily said 'I love you' first.

It was going to be a very long life.


End file.
